


White Blood

by hollowfirefly



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Character Death, M/M, Minor Jicheol, Near Future, White Blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 17:43:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10995804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollowfirefly/pseuds/hollowfirefly
Summary: Lee Seokmin was a man of reason. Everything had to make sense. There was a reason that the sky was blue. There was a reason that flowers bloomed. Therefore, there had to be a reason that people fell in love.





	White Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marylovesskyrim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marylovesskyrim/gifts).



> So I was talking to my friend Mary and decided to write a Soonseok story. I was listening to "White Blood" by Oh Wonder and came up with this strange idea.   
> Anyway, read for yourself. Kudos, comment, etc. I hope you enjoy!

Lee Seokmin was a man of reason. Everything had to make sense. There was a reason that the sky was blue. There was a reason that flowers bloomed. Therefore, there had to be a reason that people fell in love. Seokmin thought about the first kiss he had ever shared with another person. It had been awkward, a dare when he was fourteen. Lately, Seokmin wasn’t much for kissing strangers in closets but was seeking a boy who shared the same dreams as him and felt as deeply as he did. Seokmin wasn’t lonely per se, but he was waiting. Yes, that sounded about right.

Seokmin was a scientist, on occasion an engineer. The company he worked for was known as “The Wonder” despite their legal name being Candid Corporation, named after the company’s message, “To be honest and open- always.” The company’s president and creator, Seungcheol, was a good man. He held high beliefs for his company and expected the best of his employees. The hiring process for Candid Corporation was a strict one. A resume was necessary but rarely ridiculed and the questions asked by Seungcheol or the company’s vice president, Jihoon, were the most important part of the process. Seokmin had been told that he had passed with flying colors and that he had received the highest score out of any of the other employees. That had him proud and another reason to be the best.

Seokmin took pride in his work and never had a negative thought about his job since he had begun working there. His heart was in it completely and he wondered what the other employees thought when he came up with fresh ideas every week at company meetings. Seokmin took immense joy out of watching Seungcheol’s face light up whenever Seokmin started a sentence with “I’ve been thinking…”.

Artificial Intelligence was Candid Corporation’s newest development. They had proposed the idea at a grand staff meeting, 50 or so world-renowned scientists, including foreign sit-ins, sat in a large auditorium as Seungcheol laid out his plan for an Artificial Intelligence larger than anything the world had seen before. “Forget smartphones. Forget voice recognition. Forget virtual reality.” Seungcheol paused. “Introducing a rough sketch of our new Candid Corporation Artificial Intelligence. The Wonder.”

Seokmin was in awe of something bigger than anything he had dreamed before. When he began working at this company less than a year ago he had envisioned being a part of talking computers that could finish your homework, but this was… a computerized version of human _life._ His jaw dropped in wonderment, but he couldn’t help but think something was missing from this. Seokmin couldn’t work out exactly what it was at first, but he knew the name was an issue. Who was going to buy something with that long of a name? If the Artificial Intelligence system was supposed to make people’s lives easier than why not have an easier name?

That night, Seokmin had gone home directly declining any extended invitations for drinks. He had begun sketching out draft after draft of Artificial Intelligence systems but nothing seemed to be working. Without the lab and the resources to conduct wiring experiments, Seokmin was at a loss of fixing any holes in the systems. Finally, he sketched out a final draft, this system smaller than the others by a few centimeters. Seokmin realized that he could keep the wiring the same and power the system by words and actions recognized by perceptual computers in the system’s ears, eyes, body. Something like human nerves.

As Seokmin’s hand lifted from the pages of sketches of sensation and perception cortexes and the maps of nerve-endings, he realized that this whole time he had spent pouring over this creation he had not done what he had originally noticed in the first place. His Artificial Intelligence system needed a name; something unique, new, larger than life. Seokmin thought awhile, contemplating all the different combinations of words and names before finally settling on the word for innocent and the word for glorious. Soonyoung.

Yes, that was what he was going to call his new creation, his new friend. Soonyoung.

The next morning after getting no sleep all night, Seokmin ran into Seungcheol’s office, his papers in hand. Jihoon had been there as well and was startled as Seokmin burst into Seungcheol’s office carrying a stack of notebook and graphing paper.

“Hello, sir.” Seokmin had begun before noticing Jihoon was there as well. He coughed nervously, out of breath. “And hello to you as well. Sir.” Seokmin nervously fumbled with his papers. “I was up all night and I wanted to share- “

Seungcheol smiled and waved his hand towards the chair across his desk. “Seokmin sit,” he said calmly. Seokmin took a deep breath and sat down. He laid his papers on Seungcheol’s desk and smiled. “I thought about what you said at last night’s meeting and I spent all night pouring over different drafts and I finally settled on one.” Seokmin began to explain what Soonyoung’s different attributes would be, how he would be built, how he would be maintained, and what he would contribute to better the everyday lives of people around the world.

“This is very interesting, Seokmin. How exactly do you expect this Soonyoung system to run off what you call ‘genuine affection’?” Seungcheol questioned and Seokmin smirked only to himself, because he had been anticipating this question. “He’ll run off basic human care such as hugging, caring words, spending time, laughing. If you treat your Soonyoung like a friend, your Soonyoung will be there when you need help cooking, doing homework, doing housework, or if you just need a friend.” Seokmin explained, possibly a little eagerly.

Jihoon sat back in his chair without a word, less convinced than Seungcheol. Seokmin would later find out that Jihoon had been planning his own Artificial Intelligence system and Seokmin’s confidence and fast work had beat Jihoon to it. Seungcheol pushed Seokmin’s papers back at him and nodded. “We’ll discuss it at the next meeting.” Seungcheol had stated, but Seokmin had detected an enthusiasm in his voice he hadn’t before.

Seokmin had hope.

The next few weeks went by in a blur as Seokmin’s life began to turn upside down. There were meetings: lots of them. All of them were regarding this “new” and “brilliant” idea that this fresh “kid” had brought to the table. Seokmin thought that they would spend weeks, months, even years, studying his drafts and contemplating the producibility of his Artificial Intelligence system. It had only been days, however, when they began to test the different mechanisms that would be put together in the 1st generation of Soonyoung systems.

Seokmin was mesmerized by the ordeal. When testing was completed and signed off on, production went underway and he watched in admiration as his idea and his vision was brought to life. It had been a month (how time flew) when Seokmin had been sitting at his desk and he had heard a knock at the door to his lab. Seungcheol had walked in as Seokmin continued to not look up. “What is it?” He asked, his head down.

“Hello. My name is Soonyoung.” Seokmin heard a voice say with clarity and joy. Seokmin looked up and could not believe his eyes. It was the first Soonyoung system! It was _his_ Soonyoung!

“Hello Soonyoung, I’m-“ Seokmin scrambled up and around his desk to shake Soonyoung’s hand. It felt _real_! Like human flesh! “I’m Seokmin. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Soonyoung smiled the simplest grin that Seokmin had ever experienced. “It is very nice to meet you as well.” Soonyoung looked back at Seungcheol as if to ask permission and Seungcheol shrugged and waved his hands at Seokmin. Seokmin was much too flustered to fully comprehend the fact that this was his creation. This was the thing he had wired and designed and presented to the world.

“Is this your home?” Soonyoung asked and began to walk around, touching everything he could. The Soonyoung system had white hair, as if there was flour caked through it and an average sized slim build. Seokmin had combined many of his favorite features in a man when he drafted the Soonyoung system, he wouldn’t lie. Seokmin could not stop staring at Soonyoung though. Every little thing he did was… real.

“Hello?” Soonyoung waved his hand in front of Seokmin’s face and laughed. Seokmin snapped out of his daze and cocked his head. “Yes?” Soonyoung smiled. “I asked if this is your home Seokmin.” Seokmin shook his head. “No, this is where I work.” Soonyoung beamed and began to jump up and down, “Can we go to your home?” Seokmin could not believe the seemingly childlike nature of Soonyoung. Seokmin wondered if this was caused by the affection and attention that the system ran off. Seokmin nodded and grabbed his coat. “Follow me.” He told Soonyoung as they headed out of Seokmin’s lab, locking the door behind him.

As Seokmin and Soonyoung walked to Seokmin’s flat, Soonyoung was exploring everything around them. He scanned his fingers over the windowsills and glass panes of the storefront windows. He kicked his foot in the dirt and ran his hands over tree trunks. Seokmin was lost in the way Soonyoung discovered and learned like a child, like new life. Soonyoung was advanced enough to hold coherent conversations, but lacked the knowledge of the world. Seokmin did not ponder on what would happen as Soonyoung developed and grew. At this moment, he felt too much happiness at the fact that the system he made was walking in front of him.

“How far away is your home, Seokmin?” Soonyoung asked as he fell into pace next to Seokmin. Seokmin pointed up the way. “Just up this way.”

They arrived at the flat just before nightfall and Seokmin ran in before Soonyoung could get too far in, doing his best to clean the place up so Soonyoung didn’t think he was a slob. Not like it mattered, because Soonyoung would love Seokmin no matter what. He was built that way.

“So, this is my home, Soonyoung.” Seokmin motioned around his home. Soonyoung began to explore everything. He began in the living room, becoming distracted with the television for a few moments when he accidentally sat on the remote and turned it on. When he made it to the kitchen and almost scared himself half to death by the blender, he promptly headed towards Seokmin’s bedroom area. Soonyoung laid down on Seokmin’s bed. His body was stiff and he stared around the room like Seokmin did when he was thinking about work and on the rare occasion, life. Seokmin watched Soonyoung watch the lights from the city dancing through the window in Seokmin’s flat and sit up, staring out the window. He moved towards the glass and placed his hand on it.

“Wow.” Soonyoung mumbled and Seokmin walked over next to him. “Do you like it?” He asked Soonyoung. Soonyoung turned and wrapped his arms tightly around Seokmin’s body. “I love it so much, Seokmin.” Seokmin was taken aback by Soonyoung’s immediate liking to him and his affectionate behavior. This meant, however, that his product had come out just as Seokmin had planned. Loving.

Soonyoung looked up at Seokmin. “Seokmin, may I ask a question?” Soonyoung continued to keep his arms wound around Seokmin as the latter nodded. “May I stay here with you, Seokmin?” Seokmin grinned and pulled Soonyoung into a hug this time. “Of course, Soonyoung.” Seokmin looked out the window into the city and had a brief thought about how much his life had changed in just a month. He had been working at Candid Corporation for less than a year and he already was the name behind the invention that the world was calling the “greatest since modern computers.” Seokmin realized that he was still holding Soonyoung and realized that he had created this system, this being, this intelligence. Seokmin had created Soonyoung and he wondered how much he would be able to teach and mold Soonyoung in the coming years.

Or would it be the other way around?

As Seokmin looked out the window, he mumbled “Of course” once again.


End file.
